The importance of saying 'yes' to yourself

I've felt drawn to the idea of creating a magazine for a while: a growing desire to collaborate with others to create something substantial and beautiful, thought-provoking and uplifting, something that would paint a more holistic vision for the reader than could be conveyed in a single blog or social media post.

Not that I've ever created a magazine before, had any idea how much would be involved, or any certainty around the ROI (return on investment).

So I stalled for a long time thinking to myself, "Who on Earth would want to invest in contributing to a project with so much uncertainty around it?"

But the yearning persisted until I couldn't deny it any longer. Uncertain or not I simply had to start the process of creation. If others wanted to say 'no' to participating in the project, I told myself, they were at liberty to do so but I was finally giving myself permission to listen to my gut.

Any guess what?

Once I'd said 'yes' to myself, others started to say 'yes' to being a part of it, too. Even people I'd built up in my mind as "too busy and important to possibly want to partner with me!"

Does this resonate with you? Are you perhaps currently hesitating to pursue an idea or course of action you're drawn to because you're uncertain of all the details or unsure whether anyone else will be willing to follow you?

If so, my gentle encouragement to you is to start by saying 'yes' to yourself. Then take the first step. You just might be surprised what that puts in motion.

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That magazine I mentioned?  It's finally complete(!) and I'm delighted to be able to share the result with you.  You can view the digital version here.